Uniting
by DaughteroftheRedKing
Summary: AU. Symphonia and Tethe'alla have lived in a constant influx of peace and war, and it isn't until one boy appears determined to change the way things are run that true peace can reign. (Mermaid fic - no angels) (Rated T for violence and possible bad language)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Welcome back, my lovely little readers! This is my second ToS multi-chap, and third ToS fic overall. I will start working on LaL when I can, but it's still awkward at the minute.**

**Anyway, this is a mermaid based fic - basically, all the angels are replaced with mermaids. Simple!**

**Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia. It is the property of Namco Bandai.**

* * *

The lands of Symphonia and Tethe'alla had always remained separated. It was rare for there to be interaction between the two, though there were reports of citizens of Tethe'alla being kidnapped or Sylvarant people being attacked. The two lands were constantly at war with each other, and it seemed a time of peace would never happen.

Tethe'alla was the land beneath the waves - a kingdom of beauty and peace. Each of it's citizens possessed a tail rather than legs, and were mostly shunned by the humans and elves.

In a town built by the sea, this was all mostly unknown to a young boy named Lloyd Irving. He'd been found abandoned near the water by his dwarven step-father Dirk, and had been raised by him ever since. He'd learned the dwarven language, craft and culture, before being exposed to the human side when he started attending school in Iselia.

A lot of the other children didn't like him, and called him an outsider. For many years, he didn't really have any friends, and spent most of his time learning to forge or practicing with the wooden blades his father had made for him. That changed, however, when a pair of elven siblings arrived in Iselia.

Genis and Raine had quickly settled in, Raine becoming the teacher at his school and splitting the amount of students one teacher needed to teach. When Genis was bullied both for being an elf and for being the teacher's brother, Lloyd was quick to step in and stop the fighting, generally taking the punches for him.

In return, Lloyd's fascination with elves was curbed by Raine and Genis. He would go home to Dirk, babbling about the various things elves did. Dirk listened with a patient ear, providing Lloyd with questions occassionally, and secretly felt proud of the boy for learning about three different races.

* * *

As with most villages next to the shore, Iselia's main income was fish and other sea creatures. It also meant that generally the kids would learn how to swim.

Raine wasn't their swimming teacher. Actually, she generally sat on the edge of the sandy beach, reading or watching her brother as he paddled about in the water with the other kids. It was the only time when menacing thoughts were pushed to the back.

Most of the time, Lloyd would skip the lessons. Today was an exception, however, as he came and joined Raine at the edge of the sand, still fully dressed.

"Aren't you going in the water?" Raine asked, surprised. She didn't know the boy too well yet, but from his attitude she thought he would love to play in the water.

"...I don't really like the ocean," Lloyd replied.

"Oh? I'm a bit surprised...but I understand how you feel. I've never really liked water," Raine agreed.

Lloyd nodded, gazing out over the sea, then looked up at Raine. "Professor...do you know anything about mermaids?"

Raine looked confused. "Why would you want to know about that? It's taboo, even in our culture..."

"I'm just curious. Dad doesn't know anything about them, and I know loads about dwarves and elves and humans, but nothing about mermaids. I figured you'd know, seeing as you're the professor."

Raine smiled. "I do know a little, but only what I've heard from rumours." Lloyd perked up, and she gazed out to the sea again. "Their cities are built with the coral in the ocean, and they manipulate it to make their homes. Their cities are apparently amazingly crafted, maybe even matched with what the dwarves can make. They can breath and speak underwater, and are fluent in our language as well as their own. They can also...communicate, in a sense, with the animals under the sea."

"Do they have a leader? Like, a church and stuff?"

"No, I don't think so. They have a ruler, or so I've heard, but they don't have a faith like we do."

"Do they have pets?"

"Hmm...I couldn't say for certain...but based upon our own culture, I would imagine they may be able to tame certain species to be domestic."

"I bet it'd be cool living underwater..."

Raine glanced at him sharply. "Do not think like that. We must live on the land, like our Goddess told us to. If we aren't careful, we may be drawn to the water and never leave it. Even if they are interesting, the mermaids are dangerous, and will drown you cruelly without a second thought."

Lloyd nodded slowly, lowering his gaze. "I guess...Well, anyway, I'm going to head home. Thanks for the lesson, Professor!"

Raine watched him run back up the road to his home, and sighed. He was so curious...She had probably told him more than she should, but when she got started, it was hard to stop.

Well, it wasn't like anything would come of it. Lloyd was just a human with an odd background.

* * *

He'd been pretty young when he realised.

Dirk had wanted to teach him to swim from a young age, so he'd taken him down to the beach, shown him a basic doggy paddle, then waited for Lloyd to try. For a while, Lloyd just sat staring at the edge of the water, gazing at the ripples on the sand and how the sun shone off it.

Eventually, Dirk had gotten tired of waiting and headed back to his house to do some more forging, giving clear instructions for Llody to not swim by himself - though paddling was allowed. Lloyd was happy enough with this, and spent a little while longer just watching the waves.

Finally, he stood and went to the edge, waiting for the wave to come rushing in and trickle over his feet. As it came in, he giggled; the sand tickled between his toes, and the sensation was quite nice overall. Then his legs felt tingly, and he blinked before losing his balance and toppling backwards onto the sand.

He started crying, rubbing at his head. Dirk soon heard his cries and came down to check he was alright, before stopping to stare.

Lloyd had a tail.

It was rather beautiful, in a way; an aquamarine blue that glittered like the sea itself. It joined at his hips and faded to his normal skin seamlessly. As Lloyd lowered his hands from his head, Dirk also saw the sets of gills on his neck.

Finally it sunk in that Lloyd...Lloyd was a _mermaid_.

How, Dirk wasn't sure. He hadn't heard of mermaids able to grow legs and walk on the land like humans, dwarves and elves could. The only answer he could think of was that Lloyd was half-mermaid, half-human.

He also knew that this could never be found out.

He quickly hushed the boy, checking he wasn't injured before explaining simply that Lloyd couldn't show or tell anyone about his tail, nor could he go in water when others were around. Lloyd quickly understood this, and Dirk grabbed a blanket, wrapping it around the tail before carrying Lloyd back to his house.

The tail disappeared pretty quickly once it was out of the water, and Lloyd was soon happily running around like normal. Dirk acted natural, but inside he was hesitant; if the villagers found out about _this, _coupled with the fact he was raised by a dwarf, Lloyd would likely be kicked out of the village if not killed.

He had to keep this a secret at all costs.

* * *

**A/N: Just a setting chapter, really. The fun starts next chapter!**

**Review?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry for the late upload! I was really busy yesterday, and couldn't really work up the effort to post all the chapters into my drafts, so I got lazy...But here it is at last!**

* * *

It had been a couple of years since Lloyd had asked about mermaids, and Raine had pretty much forgotten it. She continued with her lessons normally, and answered the questions he had about elves or other creatures.

Genis commonly went around Lloyd's, staying for sleepovers sometimes and generally just playing. Raine was happy enough to let him; Lloyd was a sensible boy, to an extent, and at least knew not to let his friends be in danger.

That never stopped them playing in the forest and fighting against the few weak monsters there, though.

"Take that!" Genis cried, throwing a Fireball at the oncoming monster. Lloyd gave a grin then dove in, finishing it off before walking back over to Genis.

"I don't get why they tell us to stay away from here. It's really fun!" he said happily.

"Well, a lot of normal people can't use magic or fight like you do, Lloyd," Genis pointed out, starting to walk.

Lloyd shrugged, putting his swords in the belt loops. Genis watched him, and sighed.

"What are you going to do if you can't get them out fast enough?" he asked.

"Well, you can hold whatever comes off with a bit of fire magic, and that'll give me plenty of time, right? Don't worry about it," Lloyd said, putting his hands behind his head as they carried on walking.

They chatted for a while, happy enough to just walk though Lloyd would occasionally run ahead. Finally Genis glanced at the sky, realising it was getting dark. "Hey, Lloyd, we should head back now. It'll be dark soon," Genis called.

Lloyd looked back at him, giving a pout, then sighed. "Fine, whatever. You're staying over at mine tonight, right?"

"I thought you were coming over mine," Genis said, confused.

"Huh? Oh...Okay, now I'm confused."

"Why don't we just do it tomorrow? It looks like it'll be pretty cloudy tonight anyway, so we won't see many stars."

"True. So you'll come round mine tomorrow, right?"

"Well, I'll have to ask Sis first, but..."

There was a sudden snarl before a monster leapt out, and the two boys turned in surprise. Genis lifted his kendama as Lloyd went for his swords, but the monster was faster and leapt at Genis, hitting him and making him stumble back. His foot met air and he gasped briefly before starting to fall towards the water. Lloyd followed his track with wide eyes, panic setting in.

"Genis!" he cried, leaping after him.

The two of them went rushing towards the water, and Lloyd briefly realised this may have been a terrible idea before they hit it. The impact forced the air from their lungs, but while Genis went limp, Lloyd felt the tingle down his legs before his tail appeared. He briefly touched the gills at his neck before swimming forward and grabbing Genis, pulling him to the surface.

"Genis! Genis, wake up!" Lloyd cried, shaking him slightly.

After a moment Genis' eyes opened, before he turned to the water and gave a retch, spitting seawater out. He leant back against Lloyd, panting, and the brunette sighed in relief.

"Are you okay?" Lloyd asked.

"I-I'm fine..." Genis murmured, before he realised something. "Wait, how are you okay? You should have passed out too!"

Lloyd looked hesitant. "...We should talk about that later, after you get back to land," he said, starting forward.

Genis gazed at him, then heard a faint slapping sound before looking back. He stared, before gasping.

"Lloyd!" he cried.

"What?" Lloyd asked, glancing around for any monsters.

"Y-You have a tail! How do you have a tail?!"

Lloyd relaxed, glancing back at it. His scales shimmered, tinted a little red by the setting sun.

"I was born with it," he replied finally, continuing on. They reached the beach, and Lloyd pushed Genis onto it, dragging himself up a little way before lying back and panting. The waves washed over them, but Genis couldn't stop staring at the tail.

"A-Are you a mermaid?" he asked finally, voice scared.

Lloyd glanced at him from the corner of his eye, before nodding. "Dirk says I'm half-mermaid. That's why I have legs too."

Genis turned his gaze to him, eyes wide and frightened. Lloyd didn't meet his gaze, though Genis could see the faint shaking of his hands. After a moment, he curled up, pulling his legs to his chest.

"...Can I tell you something?" he murmured.

"Sure," Lloyd replied.

"I'm not an elf."

Lloyd looked back in confusion. "How aren't you? You can use magic."

"Yeah...but I'm not an elf. Not completely, at least. I'm half-elf."

"Really? Wow...That must have been tough."

Genis looked at him in surprise, then gave a sniff, rubbing at his eyes. Lloyd immediately looked concerned, pushing himself up and turning to him. "Are you okay? What's the matter?"

"Nothing...It's just such a Lloyd thing to say."

Lloyd blinked, then smiled. "What, you thought I'd freak out? Genis, you're my friend; something as little as that wouldn't bother me."

"Right," Genis agreed, then grinned at him. "And I think it's kinda cool that you're a mermaid," he added.

Lloyd matched the grin. "Hey, at least we can go swimming together now," he pointed out, giving a short laugh before lying back and staring up at the sky again. Genis soon joined him, the two of them silent as they watched the sky slowly getting darker.

* * *

A knock came at Dirk's door, and he looked up before walking up to it and opening it. A young blonde girl stood there, giving a gentle smile.

"Good afternoon, Dirk," she said politely.

"Af'ernoon, Colette. What brings ya up here?" he asked.

"The priests asked me to collect something from you. A statue, I think?"

"Ah, that. Aye, it'll be done soon, just gotta do the last li'l bits. Ya can wait inside if ya want."

"No, that's alright. I think I'll head back to the village now."

"Suit yerself. Take care, mind you."

"I will. Thank you," Colette said with a smile, turning and starting down the path as Dirk closed the door.

She hadn't gotten very far when she heard a scream and then laughter. Confused, she paused, turning to where she'd heard it and starting down a path. As she drew close, she became wary, lifting up her chakrams and waiting for any potential enemy.

As she stepped onto the beach, she stopped in surprise. A couple of boys from her village - Lloyd and Genis, she realised, remembering them from how much the priests complained - were in the water and splashing each other. Genis kept squealing before sending a torrent of water back at Lloyd, who easily laughed it off.

"No fair!" Genis shouted as another large wave of water crashed into him, sending him toppling again.

"You've got to try harder, Genis," Lloyd taunted, before he suddenly turned and went still, gaze serious. Genis followed his gaze and stiffened as he spotted Colette, who had stepped out now.

She blinked, then looked awkward. "Oh, um, sorry to intrude..." she murmured.

"It's no problem. What's up?" asked Lloyd, though she noticed he drifted a little further back.

"I just heard you, and thought you might have been in trouble...Sorry." She started towards them, crouching at the edge of the water. "But I thought you didn't like water, Lloyd? Isn't that why you never swim with us?"

"Umm..Yeah, but Genis is teaching me privately. It's a bit embarrassing, is all."

"Oh, I see. Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you."

"You're not really interrupting," Genis reassured her.

Lloyd nodded, then blinked before glancing back. A frown creased his forehead, and he looked at them. "You guys may want to get further up the beach. I think there's a large wave coming."

Genis immediately scurried out of the water, taking Colette's wrist and starting to lead her back up. She suddenly realised that Lloyd wasn't following, and turned back.

"Lloyd? Aren't you coming with us?" she asked.

"I'll be up in a minute. Just go with Genis for now," he said.

"No! It's dangerous to just stay here, so come with us!"

"He'll be fine, Colette," Genis said.

"But what if he gets hurt?"

"I'll be here to help him, but you should head back."

"No, I'm a better swimmer. I'll stay to help too!"

Genis gave an irritated sigh, about to say something else, when Lloyd suddenly grabbed their wrists and hung onto them. "Too late. Hold your breath," he ordered. They both did so, Colette looking confused, before the water crashed into them. The three of them went flying up the bank, the water rushing around them, before it receded.

As it slid back down the beach, Genis sat up and gave a cheer. "That was awesome!" he cried, leaping up.

Colette looked down at her sopping clothes, sighing. The priests wouldn't be happy knowing she'd gotten all wet...A sudden glimmer caught her eye and she turned before gasping.

Lloyd had pushed himself up, and now sat awkwardly, the aquamarine tail curled a bit behind him. Genis quickly noticed her staring and went quiet, looking between the two of them.

"Wow...you have a tail?" Colette asked, suddenly kneeling beside him and reaching out to it. It felt a little slimy, as well as wet, and as she pulled her hand back a couple of scales followed.

"Yeah," Lloyd replied, watching her apprehensively.

"It's so pretty! I wish I had a tail...but I've always wanted to be friends with a mermaid!" she said with a smile, looking at him.

Lloyd relaxed a bit, also smiling. "Well, I'm only half."

"Do you have a tail too, Genis?" asked Colette.

"Oh, um, no. I'm just normal, like you."

"Oh...Well, never mind." Something seemed to occur to her and she gasped, lifting a hand to her mouth. "Oh! I forgot that we're supposed to not like mermaids. Still, you're far too nice to be like the other mermaids, Lloyd," she said, smiling.

Lloyd looked at her in surprise, then grinned. "Thanks Colette."

* * *

**A/N: Pretty long chapter, but I wanted to get Colette and Genis knowing his little secret earlier on...Also, I know canon wise Lloyd was friends with Colette first, but I didn't realise that until after I finished writing it, so I just figured we'd stick with Genis being friends first :3**

**Review?**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I think we're getting close to properly starting the story now...**

* * *

The three of them quickly became close. Oftentimes, they would sneak down to the beach outside Lloyd's house and play around in the water for a bit. Colette was so fascinated by Lloyd's tail, that one day he made them both a necklace with a couple of scales threaded on to wear.

"It's beautiful! Thank you Lloyd," Colette said, hugging him happily.

"Hey, I've heard that mermaid scales can help humans breath underwater!" Genis cried suddenly, before jumping into the ocean and going underneath it. The two of them waited a moment before he came to the surface again, panting. "Okay, maybe not."

"Aren't you supposed to put the scales in your mouth?" asked Colette.

"Really?" Genis mused, popping one in before going under the water again. When he didn't surface for a while, they grew a little worried and Lloyd dived under the surface, looking around for him. He soon spotted the silver-haired elf doing the frog under the water, who grinned at him before waving and going deeper. Lloyd gave a laugh before surfacing, sitting on the sand with his tail in the water.

"He's fine. Apparently scales in the mouth does work."

Colette clapped her hands together. "I'm glad I was right! But I think it has a time limit..."

"Well, I shed scales a lot. I'll just get the extras and you guys can add them to your necklaces, so if you're in a pinch you'll be alright for a while."

"Alright. Thank you Lloyd!"

Lloyd grinned, and they watched as Genis suddenly surfaced, giving a laugh. "That is so cool! Come on Colette, you try!" he urged before going under again.

* * *

It was a couple of years later, and the three of them had grown close. They wore the necklaces constantly, hidden underneath their clothes, and both had had to start a new strand due to the first being filled with scales.

However, they were also growing up, and they all knew that soon Colette would be going to Palmacosta to become a Priestess and start on her first pilgrimage around Sylvarant to spread the word of the Goddess. Dirk was also getting bored of living in Iselia, and wanted to move to an area with better resources. It was becoming clear that soon they would all split up.

Knowing this, they tried to spend as much time together as possible, having all sorts of little adventures. Between school, Colette praying, Lloyd crafting, Genis practicing his spells, and going out to play together, they tired out easily and would collapse happily into their beds in the evening to sleep.

One afternoon, Colette had gone up to the temple to pray to the Goddess Martel. There were a few other priests with her, and some citizens as well. While Genis would usually go up to pray with Raine too, she'd never seen Lloyd attend a ceremony - probably because Martel was the one who banished the mermaids to the water.

The Goddess Martel had been an elf who sought to end the war between humans and mermaids. Unable to find a truly peaceful solution, she cast the mermaids to the sea and made it so that they could never walk the earth again; this left the three remaining races to live peacefully together on the land. Although both the elves and humans worshipped her, the dwarves didn't, which Colette didn't really understand but didn't question.

Colette stood, having finished her prayers, and bowed briefly to the statue before turning. As she started for the steps, she heard people running up them and backed off to let them up.

As they piled into the prayer area, however, Colette regretted her choice. Each of the men had weapons lifted, and helmet-like things covered their faces. Colette realised they were Desians - half-elves who, unable to find acceptance on the land, joined the mermaids and helped them attack the humans.

The Desians rushed forward to attack them, and Colette drew her chakrams, intent on protecting as many citizens as she could. Flinging them forward, they cut through several Desians, felling them easily. The rest quickly turned to her, rushing forward to attack. She quickly pushed the few citizens behind the altar then lifted her chakrams again.

As several of them lifted their swords to stab her, one of them suddenly stepped forward.

"Wait. She's a priestess; we should take her back to Lord Yggdrasil."

They hesitated then nodded, surrounding her and quickly disarming her before one of them whacked his hilt on the back of her head. She went limp, eyes swimming, then they began to carry her out of the building. As they ran towards the water, Colette vaguely remembered she couldn't breath underwater and automatically grabbed her necklace, pulling off one of the scales and slipping it into her mouth before they leapt into the water.

* * *

"Lloyd! Lloyd!"

Lloyd turned from where he'd been helping Dirk forge, watching as Genis ran towards them. "What's the matter?" he asked, watching as the half-elf stopping infront of him, panting.

"C-Colette...She's been taken by some Desians!"

Lloyd stiffened, then scowled. "I'll go after them. Do the priests know?"

"Yeah...Lloyd, Raine says she'll go after her alone! I don't want her to get hurt!"

"I thought I told you not to tell anyone," a voice snapped behind him, and the boys looked up at Raine standing behind them.

"Professor, has Colette really been kidnapped?" asked Lloyd.

"Yes, unfortunately. But you two are too young to come with me."

"That's not going to stop me. Colette's my friend, Professor; I've got to help."

"That's right! You can't expect me to sit by when Colette's in trouble, Sis."

Raine gazed at them, then glanced at Dirk. He shrugged. "I don't see why they can't join ya, Raine. Lloyd's handy with them swords o' is, and Genis is gettin' to be a mighty strong mage. Takin' them along is pro'ly a good idea. Plus, they'll just follow ya afterwards anyway."

Raine hesitated, then sighed. "Alright, fine. But you both have to be careful, alright? Dirk, the priests said you might have a stone that could allow me to grow a tail."

"Aye, I got a few actually. They're pretty rare - made from the scales of a mermaid's tail. The type those Desians use are a li'l different, though."

'That explains why he wanted some of my scales when I shed them,'

Lloyd realised, watching as he lifted a few out. They were threaded; Raine's was a necklace, while Genis' was a bracelet. He handed Lloyd another necklace, leaning in to whisper in his ear.

"I know ya could do it yerself, but this one's for Colette when ya find 'er. Plus, it'll help ya keep it a secret for a while at least," he murmured. Lloyd blinked then gave him a grin, nodding. He quickly slipped it on, gazing at it a moment before smiling at Dirk.

"We'll have Colette back soon," he promised before they hurried out.

As they ran down to the beach, Genis turned to Raine. "Sis, I thought you didn't like water?"

"I'm not a huge fan, no, but this isn't the time. What about you, Lloyd?"

"Genis has been teaching me how to swim, so I'm okay with water now," Lloyd replied.

They reached the water's edge, and Raine hesitated. "I'm not sure what will happen, so let's figure out a plan first..."

The two boys ignored her, easily diving in. Lloyd quickly felt the tingly sensation and swished his tail slightly, pushing himself forward through the water. He watched Genis float there for a moment, one of the scales in his mouth in case it didn't work, before he gave a gasp and his lower body suddenly changed, becoming a dark blue tail. He swished it, giving a laugh and spinning slightly.

"It looks great, Genis!" Lloyd said with a grin, swimming over to him.

Genis opened his mouth, forming words, though no sound came out. He looked confused, and Lloyd frowned.

"I guess you can't speak underwater because you're not actually a mermaid..." he murmured.

Genis gave a nod, sighing, then pointed upwards. Lloyd nodded, and the two of them quickly went to the surface, breaking it easily and wading there. Raine was at the edge of the water, looking panicky, and they glanced at each other before grinning and diving under again. They easily made their way towards her, pausing under the water. Lloyd lifted his fingers, counting down to zero, before they burst out of the water shouting, "Boo!"

Raine gave a squeal and leapt back, then relaxed as she recognised them. She sighed. "I thought you two had gotten hurt. Don't scare me like that again," she scolded.

"Sorry Raine. But come on in, it's fine," Genis urged.

Raine hesitated, then stepped forward into the water. She went deeper and deeper, until it was up to her hips, and stopped.

"W-When do you grow the tail?" she asked, forcing herself to calm down.

"Well...I don't know. I would have thought you'd have grown one by now," Genis replied, confused.

Lloyd considered. "Maybe you actually have to get the necklace wet."

Raine gulped. "G-Getting that close to the water?"

"It'll be fine. We're both here to help," Lloyd promised, smiling reassuringly.

"And we have to go after Colette, Sis!" Genis added.

Raine glanced between them before nodding, taking a deep breath before plunging into the water. The two boys dove down as well, watching her. She floated for a moment, looking scared, before a deep orange tail suddenly grew. She gasped, letting out her breath, and briefly panicked before realising she could breath fine.

Genis motioned upwards, and they surfaced, Lloyd and Genis grinning at Raine.

"So? What did you think?" asked Lloyd eagerly.

Raine considered. "...It's not as bad as I thought it would be," she admitted finally. She gave a small smile. "It's almost relaxing."

"Then let's get going. You'll get used to it, Professor," Lloyd grinned before diving, Genis quickly following. Raine soon also went under, following behind the two boys and surprised at how easily Lloyd could manoeuvre. Even Genis was having some trouble, though he was obviously better than Raine.

She blinked as she noticed something suddenly. Lloyd was actually faster than them, and often had to glance back and make sure to check his speed so that he didn't go too far ahead. She quickly realised it was because of the primary dorsal and pelvic fins around where his hips would be, which allowed him to be better streamlined and cut through the water easier.

Glancing back at her own tail, she saw she didn't have the same fins. _'Why is Lloyd's different?' _she wondered, looking back at it with a frown.

Lloyd suddenly stopped, lifting his hand. The two of them halted in confusion, looking around. Suddenly several fish started swimming around them, before a green and white dolphin appeared. It gave a cry, swimming excitedly, and Lloyd grinned before reaching out a hand. It quickly stopped next to him, and he gently stroked it.

"Who are you?" a voice demanded suddenly, and they watched as a red-haired man with a purple tail swam up infront of them.

Raine attempted to reply, then blinked when she realised she couldn't. The man frowned.

"You are unable to speak...Are you Desians?"

They quickly shook their heads, and Lloyd wished he could explain. The man didn't look convinced, however.

"If you aren't Desians, then you are intruders. Intruders must be killed," he snapped, lifting a hand. The water swirled about it, suddenly becoming a sword.

Lloyd quickly pushed Raine and Genis back, floating infront of them with his expression set. The man scowled then lunged, sword rushing at Lloyd.

The dolphin suddenly headbutted his hand, the sword missing Lloyd by inches. The man looked surprised, turning to the dolphin.

"Noishe, what are you doing?" he asked.

The dolphin - Noishe - gave a series of cries, swimming protectively infront of Lloyd. The man listened for a moment, before relaxing slightly, the sword vanishing.

"Noishe seems to trust you, so I suppose I will take a chance and do the same. Come here a moment."

They hesitated, but Noishe looked at Lloyd, eyes pleading. Lloyd gazed at him a moment, then sighed before nodding to the other two. They glanced at each other before swimming forward. The man lifted his hands to their throats, murmuring something, before they suddenly gasped and drew back as if stung.

"That _hurt_," hissed Genis, before realising what had just happened.

The man motioned to Lloyd, and he quickly went over to him. When the man lifted a hand to his neck, he blinked before frowning.

"Boy.."

"Don't tell them," Lloyd whispered.

"Very well," the man murmured, withdrawing his hand. Lloyd swam back towards the two of them, who appeared delighted to be able to speak again.

"Anyway, thanks. I'm Lloyd, and these are Genis and Professor Raine. Who are you?"

"Kratos. If you aren't here for a good reason, I suggest you leave; we don't take kindly to outsiders."

"Well, we're looking for our friend. So we can't go yet!" Genis said, folding his arms.

Understanding glowed in Kratos' eyes, and he frowned. "And so you're searching for them? That's very stupid of you." The group frowned, Lloyd opening his mouth to retaliate, but Kratos cut him off. "If you want to find them without dying, you'll need my help."

"Why should we trust you? Mermaids hate the people from the land," Raine said suspiciously.

"Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't particularly care. However, Noishe has grown attached to you, and he is a very good judge of character. If he has chosen to trust you, then I shall as well. Whether you wish to trust me is up to you."

Before the two of them could say anything, Lloyd turned to them. "He has a point. We don't know very much about mermaids, and if we want to find Colette, we'll need all the help we can get."

They hesitated, before finally Raine sighed. "Alright. I'll trust your judgement, Lloyd. But if you show any signs of turning on us, I won't hesitate to attack you," she added, glaring at Kratos.

"As you wish," Kratos replied, before turning and starting off.

The three of them glanced at each other before following after him, Noishe easily keeping pace with Lloyd.

* * *

**A/N: All the chapters are getting pretty long...Oh well. Anyway, Kratos and Noishe finally arrive! We're actually into the story now, so no more plot-setting :)**

**Review?**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: In which Lloyd is actually smart(ish)**

* * *

They had been swimming for a while, and Genis and Raine were growing tired. Lloyd and Kratos were still fine, though Lloyd insisted Kratos slow down a bit for the other two.

Finally Kratos called, "Just a little further. It's past this next reef."

As the group rounded it, Lloyd gasped. A large city stood proudly, crafted into the reefs as Raine had said. It spiralled up and up, and Lloyd could see the various mermaids swimming around it. Fish also swam, and he thought he saw a couple of sharks, dolphins, and other sea creatures as well.

"We can rest here for the night, then continue tomorrow. If your friend has been captured by the Desians like you say, then they will likely head to our largest city," Kratos said as they approached.

They headed into it, weaving through the reefs as well as around people. Lloyd gazed at it in amazement, while Raine and Genis looked hesitant.

"Is it not up to your...standards?" Kratos asked, the slight distaste sneaking into his tone.

"...It merely goes agains our faith to be here. We have been taught that living here even for a short while will taint us," Raine replied finally, her gaze cold.

"And yet you seem fine with it," Kratos noted, looking at Lloyd.

"I don't follow the church," Lloyd replied with a shrug, lazily turning upside down to stare up at the surface far above them. "We all live on this world, so I don't get why we can't all get along. Elves, humans, dwarves, mermaids, and any of the half's that exist between them. There's nothing wrong with any of them existing, so why do we have to fight about it?"

Kratos gazed at him in surprise for a moment, then turned away. "...You speak wise words for such a young child."

"Nah, I'm not wise. I just want everyone to be happy," Lloyd said, glancing at Genis with a grin.

"It's still a view many could learn from," Kratos said, glancing at the other two.

"I don't want you lecturing me. If the mermaids hadn't attacked the humans, they would never have been banished in the first place. It crushed Martel to have to banish them, but she did it for peace with the other races."

Kratos closed his eyes, turning away. "It would do you well to know the whole story before you quote bits and pieces," he replied, before flicking his tail and swimming ahead a little.

"Come on Sis, let's not get on his bad side. We want to find Colette quickly," Genis pleaded.

"Until he stops trying to lecture me, I will continue to point out the wrongdoings of his kind. It's about time the mermaids admit to what they did," Raine said.

* * *

There was very little to tell the difference between night and day underwater, though it did get darker as the day wore on. There were certain fish that also apparently started swimming around the cities when it was night, and most people would turn in for the night when they appeared.

Lloyd couldn't sleep. He was still too excited, as well as a little apprehensive. It was invigorating to finally be learning about the mermaids, and be interacting with them, as well as really being able to _be _a mermaid. After so many years of hiding it, he was allowed to actually act like one, though he still had to pretend it was the necklace making him a mermaid.

The door was opened, and he turned to it, watching as Kratos entered. The walls of the 'rooms' were tough, but the areas where the doors were seemed to be made of a softer coral that would move. Apparently it was just due to how the mermaids manipulated it, but Lloyd still thought it was cool.

"Hey Kratos. What's up?" he asked, resting on the edge of more foamy coral that acted as a bed.

"I merely wished to ask a few questions, if you don't mind me intruding," Kratos replied.

"Sure, go ahead. I probably can't tell you some stuff, but I'll do my best," Lloyd grinned.

Kratos lowered himself so that they were about the same height, his tail curled behind him. "You did not need me to unblock your voice. That would make you a mermaid, correct?"

"Yep."

"And yet those two quite clearly think you're human."

"Actually, Genis knows I'm part mermaid too."

"'Part'?"

"I'm half-human, half-mermaid. When I'm on land, I have legs, and in the water I have a tail."

"You were raised by humans while being half-mermaid?" Kratos asked, surprised.

"No, my step-dad is a dwarf called Dirk."

"And your friends are elves."

"Well...kinda." Kratos looked confused, but Lloyd shook his head. "Not my decision to tell you that bit."

"Very well. You certainly are an individualistic creature. You're not the first half-mermaid I've met, but you are the first to be so connected to all four races."

"I'm surprised you helped us, knowing we weren't mermaids. I thought all mermaids hated the people who lived on the land."

"No...Many of us are long since over our angered dispositions. There are a few who remain, of course, but we know the truth that the land-livers do not, and so we merely feel pity for them."

"The truth? What's that?" asked Lloyd, curiousity sparked.

Kratos glanced at him. "I cannot tell you much, but I will say this; Martel did not banish us to the sea, nor was it because the mermaids were attacking the humans unfairly." With that he turned, heading back out of the room and closing the door behind him. Lloyd frowned, lying back on the coral and sighing.

"What the hell does that mean?" he mumbled, gazing up at the ceiling in confusion.

* * *

Colette blinked her eyes open, sitting up groggily. Her head was hurting, but luckily not as badly as she thought it would.

Looking around, she realised she was in some sort of cell. The walls were made of a pinkish coral, but as she touched it, she realised it was incredibly sturdy.

"Where am I?" she murmured, standing up. There wasn't any water in here, and she was able to breath normally. Blinking, she quickly reached up to her neck, sighing in relief when she realised the necklace was still there.

She walked over to the bars, looking through them. There were several other cells, with some more young girls sitting in them. Most were unconcious or crying, and Colette felt pity worm through her. Sighing, she looked away from them and focused on the bars. Reaching out a hand, she felt a sort of barrier around the cell. Pushing through it, she felt water, before drawing back. Her arm was now wet, and she considered this.

"Am I in some sort of air pocket?" she wondered, remembering Raine telling the class about them.

"You're rather smart for a human," someone said, and she watched as a mermaid with a golden-yellow tail swam towards her. He stopped infront of her cell, gazing at her with cold eyes.

"Hello. Who are you?" Colette asked.

"I need not give my name to you human scum."

"Oh, okay. I'm Colette. It's nice to meet you," she greeted, undeterred.

"I do not care for your name," the mermaid snapped.

"Why am I here?"

"I see no point in telling you my reasons."

Colette sighed. "Okay. Sorry."

She went back over to her bed, seeing a window and stepping onto it to look out. Then she gasped.

"It's so pretty!" she cried, gazing at the huge structures of coral. It glimmered in the light, stretching up gracefully. Colette stared at it for a bit, then sighed. "It must be nice living down here..." she mumbled to herself.

The mermaid gazed at her a moment, then closed his eyes before turning and swimming away. Colette glanced back as he left, giving a slight wave, then went back to gazing at the huge coral.

"...I hope you come soon, Lloyd," she whispered, touching her necklace.

* * *

**A/N: Colette doesn't feature much in the first little bit, tbh...oh well. I just tried not to overuse characters very much, but some (like Regal and Presea) got a bit of a backseat anyway :/**

**Also, the whole 'Lloyd connected to four races' thing...well, it's pretty much the same anyway. I mean, he's raised as a dwarf, his best friends are a half-elf, angel/human and a protozoan, and his father's an angel while his mother's human. If ****_that _****isn't unique, I don't know what is.**

**Review?**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I'll explain one little bit in this chapter at the end.**

* * *

The group started out early the next morning. Lloyd seemed even more excited than he had the day before, constantly swimming ahead with a quick flick of his tail and looking around him in interest. Raine noted he seemed very at ease in the water, especially for someone who had apparently been afraid of it for years.

Noishe also seemed to pick up on Lloyd's excitement, and swam around him, the two playing together. Genis also joined in sometimes, though he was still getting used to having a tail and would grow tired faster than the two of them. Kratos occasionally glanced at them, but mostly ignored them, while Raine tried to keep them in order and failed.

"Honestly, what is with you this morning, Lloyd!" Raine snapped finally.

Lloyd paused, as if considering, then shrugged. "Colette's waiting," he replied.

The others looked surprised, then Raine lowered her gaze. "Lloyd, I didn't want to tell you, but...you must be prepared that there is a high possibility Colette is already dead. She doesn't have tails like we do, after all, and Desians rarely keep their victims alive after they've been taken..."

"No, she's fine," Lloyd said with a grin, before swimming ahead a little. Raine watched him go, frowning, but didn't question it. Maybe he was simply in denial, though that was still a dangerous mindframe to be in.

Genis swam ahead, catching up to Lloyd, who had slowed when he noticed the half-elf swimming towards him. The two of them swam next to each other for a moment, before Genis looked at him.

"How do you know that she's okay?" he asked.

Lloyd considered. "I don't 'know', exactly. It's just a feeling I have. Plus...Before I woke up, I had a weird dream with Colette in. And when I woke up, she said, 'I hope you come soon'. So I just figured we shouldn't keep her waiting too long."

Genis looked a little hesitant, then shook his head. "Okay. If you think she's alright, then I'll believe you, Lloyd!" he said determinedly.

Lloys grinned, before suddenly looking up, expression serious. He scanned the water for whatever it was, but couldn't see it. He glanced around for Noishe, spotting the dolphin cowering on the floor.

"Genis, get back to Kratos and the Professor," he said suddenly.

Genis looked at him in confusion, but Lloyd turned to him suddenly. "Go now! And take this; it's for Colette," he ordered, slipping off his necklace and passing it over before shooing him. Genis hesitated then nodded, swimming back towards them. Lloyd turned and dived down to Noishe, floating infront of him.

"Noishe, we have to go! Come on!" he said.

Noishe looked up uncertainly, then attempted to bury himself into the floor. Lloyd gave an annoyed growl before reaching down, trying to lift him or force him back towards Kratos.

"Look, Kratos and the others are right there. You've got to go to them!"

_'I'm not going!'_

Lloyd stopped in surprise, staring at him. "What?" he asked.

"Lloyd!" Genis shouted, and Lloyd glanced up before looking back at the large waterspout quickly coming up behind them. He was soon dragged up towards it, barely having time to feel relieved as he saw Kratos push Genis and Raine to safety before the air was torn from him and he passed out.

* * *

_'Are you alright? Hey!'_

His whole body hurt. He opened his eyes slowly, attempting to push himself up and giving a pained gasp as he collapsed again.

_'You're awake! Thank goodness, I was so worried...'_

Lloyd lifted his gaze, blinking as he saw Noishe floating infront of him.

"No...ishe..?" he mumbled.

_'I'm sorry...This was my fault. I was just really scared..'_

Lloyd shook his head. "S'fine...Don't worry about it," he replied, finally succeeding in getting up slightly. He tried to move his tail, then gave a cry as pain flared through it.

_'Stay still. We crashed into some coral, remember?'_

"No..."

_'Really? Oh...Well, anyway, just stay there a minute. A lot of it fell on you, and though I've managed to get most of it off you, I still need to get your tail out.'_

"Alright," he sighed, lying down again. Noishe started pushing the large parts of coral which had fallen away with his head, though it was slow going.

_'Oooh. Tasty.'_

Lloyd looked up in surprise, blinking as he saw a shark. Noishe suddenly rushed over, headbutting it away.

_'You can't eat him! Stay away, you big nasty meanie!'_

_'Oh come on. He's half dead anyway.'_

_'I'm not going to let you eat him!'_

"Calm down little one. I won't let him be eaten," a voice said gently. Lloyd watched as another mermaid floated down, joining the shark. "And Corrine, don't be so mean. You shouldn't joke around like that."

_'I know...Sorry Sheena.'_

The mermaid shook her head, then turned to Noishe. "I'm sorry about that, little one. Are you alright?"

_'Yes...But can you help Lloyd?'_

"Lloyd?" she asked, and Noishe swam towards him. The mermaid saw him and gasped. "Are you alright?" she asked, swimming over to him. She had black hair tied back, as well as a lilac tail, and gazed at him worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied.

"Just hang on a moment. We'll have you free soon," she promised, joining Noishe and helping lift the rocks away.

It took a while, but soon Lloyd was free. He pushed himself up, ignoring the pain that throbbed through him as he swam forward a little.

"Thanks. I'm Lloyd," he greeted, smiling at her.

"I'm Sheena, and don't worry about it. It was my turn to help anyone who I found, anyway."

"Huh?"

"I live in a small village nearby. There's been an increase of underwater waterspouts recently, and a lot of the time the mermaids who get stuck in them end up dying. You're really lucky you survived, crashing into the coral like that. Though it was brave of you to protect this little fellow," she said, stroking Noishe.

"What?" Lloyd asked, confused.

_'When we were thrown out of the waterspout, you put yourself behind me so that I didn't get hurt when we hit the coral. Don't you remember?' _asked Noishe.

"No...I don't remember that at all," Lloyd murmured, frowning a little.

_'Oh...Well, I hope the others are alright. I've been with Kratos for as long as I can remember...'_

Lloyd considered, noting the odd, safe feeling he got when he thought of Colette. "They're fine," he said, smiling.

Noishe gave a happy click, swimming around him. Lloyd laughed, stroking him, then turned to Sheena.

"Anyway, thanks again. I should get going now, but it was nice to meet you," he said with a smile.

"But you're injured," Sheena protested.

"I'll be fine."

"You won't be if you don't rest. At least stay for tonight, so that we can help your injuries heal."

Lloyd hesitated, glancing at Noishe, then sighed. "Alright, but only for tonight. I need to find my friends."

Sheena nodded, motioning for him to follow before starting to swim off. Lloyd followed after her, Noishe helping him a little.

* * *

The four of them soon arrived at the village, Sheena leading the way to the largest piece of coral. She pushed the door open, letting Lloyd and Noishe head in first before following with Corrine behind her.

"Ah, Sheena, you've returned. And who is this young man?" an old mermaid sitting at the back of the room asked.

"Lloyd, Elder One. He's the survivor that crashed into the coral," Sheena replied respectfully.

"Really...You must be strong to have survived that, young man," the elder said to him.

"I think I was just lucky," Lloyd replied bashfully.

"It is still not a common thing for one so young as yourself to survive that type of impact. I also see that you are injured...Please, allow us to tend to you for the night."

Lloyd glanced at Sheena, who nodded, and looked back. "Thank you. I would appreciate it," he said with a smile.

* * *

**A/N: Noishe - the master of comebacks. I think 'you big meanie' is going to go down in history.**

**Anyway, waterspout bit. I tried really hard to find something that would work, but although I found lots on stuff ****_above _****water, I couldn't find anything ****_in _****it. I read somewhere that what happens above the water would also affect below it, however, so I figured I could get away with using waterspout (which I know is something that happens above land).**

**On a sidenote, it makes me a little sad that no one's reviewed since the first chapter. I mean, it's not like I can force you, but I'm five chapters in and have 2 reviews... *sigh* Well, whatever makes you guys happy, I guess.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: In which we learn a bit more about what happened with the mermaids and humans.**

* * *

Sheena had taken Lloyd to a spare room, Noishe and Corrine following behind them. Another mermaid had arrived a few minutes later with a jar, which Sheena showed was actually a type of healing salve.

"We use it on any injuries we may get. Because we're such a small village, we're sometimes attacked by larger sea creatures, so we have to fight them off," she explained as she gently rubbed the salve onto his tail.

Lloyd considered this, then something occured to him. "Hey, Sheena? How come there aren't any monsters in the sea?"

Sheena looked at him in surprise. "Don't you know? All mermaids are taught that from a rather young age..."

"I travelled a lot with my dad, and he's never really liked talking about that type of stuff," Lloyd replied quickly, looking awkward.

Sheena didn't question this, instead turning back to what she was doing. "Well, that was because of what Martel had to do."

"Martel?"

"You _do _know how the humans were formed, right?"

"Um...No. At least, not your version."

Sheena shook her head. "How can you be a mermaid with so little education? Alright, let me explain. Many years ago, the only creatures living on the land were a few animals and the dwarves. The humans were all originally mermaids, and we lived in the sea in peace. However, we were overpopulated, and risked extinction by lack of resources. So, our ruler at the time made a hard but needed decision - he sent three quaters of our race to live on the land."

Lloyd blinked, looking at her. "Wait, what? Why? Couldn't he have sent them all, or found a better solution?"

"Those are all questions we as a race have asked ourselves over time. Many of us didn't think it was fair, but those of us who were allowed to remain didn't fight it, because we were able to live down here. We didn't _want _to live on the land. And neither did those who were sent there, except a few." Sheena paused, leaning back. "Many of the now-humans went mad. They drowned themselves trying to go back to the ocean. We mermaids tried to comfort them, but instead they attacked us, killing hundreds. And so Martel, the ruler's daughter, decided to take action."

"Martel was a princess?"

"Yes. She, her brother Mithos - who is now our ruler - and two retainers travelled together to the land. They went around helping the humans build towns and cities as grand as our own, forging a pact between humans and dwarves, and gaining the help of the dwarves in return. But many of the humans were still angry, and attacked their own. To stop them, Martel changed them to beasts, and banished them to wander the land. She proclaimed that when they had calmed, they would change back."

Lloyd blinked. "The elves," he murmured.

Sheena nodded. "Exactly. Although the effects were not permanent, many characteristics remained. The beasts who turned back had pointed ears, and were stronger as well as able to use magic due to it having been bonded with them accidentally by Martel, and so they were called elves. They made their own villages, and mostly lived apart from the other two races."

"But if everyone was so peaceful, why do they fight now? And how come the humans believe Martel was a Goddess who banished the mermaids to the water?"

Sheena looked at him. "You know a lot about human culture."

"My dad was more interested in the land-livers than the mermaids. I know a little about dwarves and elves too, but not much about mermaids. Which doesn't make much sense, I know," Lloyd said, giving a timid laugh.

Sheena eyed him. "Hmm. Well, as time went on, the humans worshipped Martel for helping them adjust to their new lives. They eventually forgot what had originally happened, twisting the legends so that their anger at being cast out was redirected to hating the mermaids for even existing. The elves joined them, though the dwarves - though agreeing that Martel was a righteous hero - forewent attacking the mermaids and instead sometimes assisted them. My grandfather was helped by a dwarf once, when he was captured in a net." She sighed. "And so this war continues. Many of us are tired of it, of course, but the humans continue to provoke us."

Lloyd gazed at the ceiling, a frown creasing his forehead. "This is so stupid. Why can't we all just live in peace? Do they really want a war so badly?"

"There is no way to know. Besides, the humans will never change. They are cruel to us without reason."

Lloyd looked at her, then shook his head. "They _can _change. I know a human girl - it's who me and my friends are trying to save. She accepted me even though I'm a mermaid."

"The humans are a dangerous enemy, Lloyd. Even if you befriend one, there is no way to know if they will turn on you or not. You are safer remaining in the water." Sheena pushed herself up, swimming over to the door. "Rest for tonight. You should be better in the morning," she said, before heading out.

Lloyd waited until the door was shut before turning over slightly. Noishe lay beside him, and Lloyd gazed at him as he stroked him gently.

"If humans and mermaids are supposed to hate each other...how come I exist? I'm half of each," he mumbled.

_'There _are _other half-mermaids. They're pretty rare, but they exist. Though most of them are brought up by mermaids...'_

Lloyd gave a quiet laugh. "I guess that just makes me the weird one."

_'Well, I think you're nice! You feel like Kratos.'_

"'Feel'? What do you mean?"

_'I dunno...You just feel safe. And warm.'_

Lloyd tried to imagine this with Kratos, and pulled a face. "I don't think I'd call him warm or safe. He seems like the person who'd rip your throat out without a second thought."

_'No, Kratos is nice. He has a soft spot for humans, too. In fact, he married one and had a baby! But they died a long time ago...Kratos got very sad, but I think he's happier when you're around because you look like Anna.'_

"Anna?"

_'His wife.'_

"Is that why he agreed to help us?"

_'Maybe. I think he likes you, though. You're the first person we've met in a while who actually thinks like us.'_

"How do you mean?"

_'You know...Thinking everyone should just be happy together and stuff.'_

"Oh. I don't really think think, though, I just sort of...feel that would be better than what's happening at the minute."

_'That's kind of the same thing. Anyway, you should get some rest! We need to go find our friends tomorrow.'_

"Right. Night, Noshy."

Noishe gave a happy click, snuggling against him as he closed his eyes.

* * *

Someone touching his shoulder woke him. As he opened his eyes, a terrible fear and foreboding hit him, and he leapt up.

"Lloyd?" asked Sheena hesitantly.

"We have to go to the capital. Sheena, do you know where it is?"

"Huh? Well...yeah. It's not far from here."

"Can you take me?"

"Why do you need to go all of a sudden? I thought we were going to find your friends."

"I...I don't know how to explain it, but...they're in danger. And I have to help them."

Sheena frowned, then nodded. "Alright. I'll take you. Do you know how to fight?"

"Oh...no, not really. I mean, I saw Kratos make a sword from water or something, but I don't know how to do it.."

"It's a sort of displacement technique all mermaids are born with. You take the water, control it, make it form the weapon you want and then use it. It's pretty easy to learn but hard to master, so I can teach you on the way. So long as you get the basics down, you can hold your own if we have to fight when we get there."

Lloyd gave a relieved grin. "Thanks, Sheena. You're a life-saver."

"Well, I won't be doing it again. I've already saved it once, it's not my fault if you want to go and throw it away again," Sheena replied with a grunt before turning and leading the way out.

Lloyd glanced at Noishe before following, Lloyd trying to ignore the sick feeling in his stomach.

They reached the main building, Sheena explaining the situation to the Elder, who nodded. "You seem powerful, young Lloyd. I felt a vague disturbance, but you seem to feel it keenly," he noted, turning to him.

Lloyd looked awkward. "I'm not that strong, sir. I don't know anything, after all."

"You'll learn. And although wisdom is indeed strength, it isn't necessarily power. Power comes from protecting, and you seem to have plenty that you wish to protect."

Lloyd gave a slow nod. "I guess I do."

"There. Very well, Sheena. Help this boy with his quest for so long as he needs it, and return here when you can. We can last without you for a while," he said with a smirk.

Sheena sighed. "The only reason I'm still here is because you're all hopeless. Anyway, I'll see you in a bit, Grandpa. Don't overexert yourself while I'm gone," she said, turning and heading out. Lloyd, Noishe and Corrine followed after her, and soon the four of them were swimming quickly to the capital.

* * *

**A/N: Also, I wanted to get it into the story but wasn't able to...The dwarf who saved Sheena's grandfather was Dirk. Just in case you were curious :3**

**So yes. I tried to stick with the same sort of concept as the game (as I seem to do in AUs) but twist it. Of course, this was obviously going to be different anyway, but I hope you like the idea.**

**Also, thank you to the two people who reviewed last chapter. I'm glad people are still reading it :)**

**Review?**


	7. Chapter 7

Genis opened his eyes, clutching at his side instinctively. He vaguely remembered several mermaids swimming towards them, one of them stabbing him, then...nothing.

"Genis, thank Goddess you're awake," Raine murmured, and he turned over to her.

"Sis? What happened?" he asked, pushing himself up.

"Those mermaids who attacked us were Desians. I only convinced them to let me heal you when I said I wouldn't fight when they took us...I couldn't risk it. I'm sorry," she said quietly, gazing down at the ground.

Genis gave a half smile, reaching up and hugging her. "Don't worry, sis. It's not your fault," he said.

Raine glanced at him, then hugged him back. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you, Genis.."

Genis nodded, and eventually the two of them pulled back. Genis glanced around. "Where are we, anyway?"

"A base for the Desians in the capital, if I had to guess. That's what it looked like when we headed to it, at least. They lead Kratos off somewhere else, so I'm afraid we can't ask him."

"Well, if we're in the capital, do you think Colette would be here somewhere? Maybe we could find her if we escaped!"

Raine sighed. "I don't know how we would, though. We're not exactly agile, not like Lloyd."

"Oh...Right," Genis mumbled, gazing down at his tail. He gazed at it a moment, then frowned. "They're not going to let us go free, right?" he said, looking up at her.

"Probably not."

"So...they'll kill us, then?" Raine gave a solemn nod, and Genis considered. "Do you think they'd drown us?"

"Hmm...That would make sense, actually. If we consider their thought pattern, then it would seen reasonable to assume they would go along the lines of drowning us for coming into their waters."

Genis nodded, then reached up. Raine blinked as he took off the necklace around his neck.

"Isn't that how you transformed?" she asked, confused.

"No, I got a bracelet," Genis replied, lifting it.

"Then what's that?"

"...It's a special necklace made from shedded mermaid scales. They'll probably take it from me, but..." Genis went a bit red, then sighed. "Well, I figured if they thought it was a part of your swimsuit, then they would leave it alone. If we put a scale in our mouths, we can breath underwater for a while, and the newer ones on the bottom strand last longer because the mermaid was more developed."

Raine frowned. "I don't know where you got this from, but I won't question it. Give it here," she said. Genis handed it over, and she lifted it before giving him a sharp glance. "And don't look!" she snapped. Genis flushed and turned away, gazing out the window instead.

* * *

Colette was standing at her window as usual, gazing out at the city. She was mostly daydreaming for a moment before she saw a bunch of mermaids gathering together.

"What's going on?" she wondered, standing on her tiptoes to get a better look.

"Are you interested?" a voice asked behind her, and she turned. The mermaid was there, gazing at her with his unnaturally cold eyes. He'd visited her everyday so far, and she'd eventually found out from one of the guards talking that he was called Yggdrasil.

"A little bit. What's going on?" she asked, jumping off the bed and padding over to him.

"Why don't you come with me and see," he offered, the bars vanishing. Colette hesitated, touching the water. If she used a scale, she'd be alright, but she didn't want the mermaid to know about them...

"I can't breath underwater though," she said uncertainly.

The mermaid humphed, thrusting something to her. She stumbled as she caught it, nearly dropping it, but recovered and gazed at it. It was the same golden-yellow as his scales, and she hesitated before slipping it on.

Pain suddenly flared through her, and she screamed, falling to the floor. The pain focused around her legs, and she glanced back, watching as a black tail appeared. The darkness quickly closed in, and she collapsed. "Lloyd..." she whispered as her eyes slid shut.

* * *

"It's so empty," Lloyd said, looking around the city in confusion.

Sheena frowned. "Usually it's very busy, even at night. Something's wrong," she murmured.

"Hello hunny~!"

Sheena blinked then gave an annoyed grunt, before turning. Lloyd followed her gaze, watching as a red-haired, orange and red-tailed mermaid swam towards them.

"What do you want, Zelos," Sheena sighed.

"Aww, isn't that a bit cold? I just wanted to see you, my sweet hunny!"

"You've got a million other girls fawning over you. I'm pretty sure you could survive without me."

"You're so harsh, Sheena," Zelos pouted, then blinked as he saw Lloyd. "And who do we have here? A secret lover?" he teased, grinning.

"We're not lovers!" snapped Sheena as Lloyd went red. She quickly regained composure, brushing a few stray hairs back. "He's a survivor our village picked up and looked after. He's looking for his friends, is all."

"Mmm...Well, if they're here, then they'll be at the city centre. There's an execution going on."

"Oh? How come?" asked Sheena as Lloyd went still.

"Those Desian bullies caught a couple of fake mermaids wandering around. They're going to be drowned; y'know, like normal."

"Where's the city centre?!" demanded Lloyd suddenly.

The two of looked at him in surprise, taken aback by the sudden determination in his gaze. Zelos frowned, then shrugged. "Follow me," he said, motioning before starting off. The two of them quickly followed, Lloyd soon catching up to Zelos and starting to overtake them.

"Slow down, Lloyd! You can't rush into things!" Sheena called.

"We don't have time to wait around!" Lloyd snarled, giving a quick flick of his tail and speeding up.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for cutting it off so suddenly, but next chapter deserves it's own one :3 And Zelos is finally introduced! Unfortunately, he doesn't really get a part in the story until Regal is introduced.**

**Review?**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: And how special Lloyd's scales are is finally starting to be revealed :3**

* * *

Raine and Genis floated in the cage, surrounded by jeering mermaids. Genis clutched at Raine, trembling slightly, and she gently brushed a hand through his hair. This was similar to how they had been treated on land...It seemed no matter where they went, they could never escape it.

"Citizens, we have found elves pretending to be mermaids in our midst. The law states that any outsiders found in our waters are to be killed," a voice called, and the two of them looked up. A mermaid with long blonde hair and a golden-yellow tail floated there, addressing the crowd. Another mermaid floated next to him, with a jet black tail. Genis suddenly gasped.

"Colette!" he cried.

The male mermaid glanced at them, scowling, then motioned to the guards outside the cage. "Remove their artifacts."

The guards reached through the cage, pulling off the necklace and bracelet before they could do anything. Immediately they choked, but as they curled over, Raine slipped one of the scales to Genis. They put them in their mouths, remaining hunched over, and instantly felt their breathing ease.

Genis lifted his gaze slightly, catching the mermaid's gaze. His scowl deepened, before he turned to Colette.

"Don't you think it would be best to kill these intruders?" he murmured to her. She glanced down, gazing at them blankly, then lifted her hand. The water suddenly began to gather up, becoming spears that pointed at them.

Without even blinking, she thrust her hand down, the spears rushing at them. Raine gasped and grabbed Genis, hugging him close in a desperate attempt to protect him.

There was a sudden angered cry, and the two of them looked up in surprise as a mermaid threw themselves between them and the attack. They lifted their hands, a sudden barrier appearing around the cage and deflecting the attacks.

"Lloyd...?" Raine mumbled, staring at him.

"What are you doing?" snapped the mermaid, glaring at Lloyd angrily.

Lloyd gazed at Colette, then gritted his teeth. "You bastard! What did you do to Colette?!" he demanded.

"Impudent whelp! You dare to speak to me in that tone? I am your ruler!"

"I don't have a ruler!" Lloyd snarled, suddenly shooting at him. There was a ripple in the water, and suddenly he held two blades. The mermaid lifted a barrier just as he attacked, but Lloyd didn't pause, instead continuing to hammer at the barrier.

"Lloyd, watch out!" Genis suddenly shouted, and Lloyd glanced back as Colette lifted her hand, more spears shooting at him. He easily dodged them, and a quick flick of his tail sent him flying towards her. He grabbed her, dragging her back with him and turning to face the mermaid.

"You think that will stop me? She is of no importance to me; I will simply kill you together!" he snarled, power suddenly flying at them.

Lloyd dived, pulling Colette with him and just dodging the attack. He gave a growl, trying to figure out how to help Raine and Genis as well as protecting Colette and fighting this weirdo.

"Lloyd!" Sheena called as she and Zelos finally arrived, before staring at the scene before her. She gazed at him a moment, before frowning. "Why are you fighting Yggdrasil, Lloyd? He's our leader!"

Lloyd glanced back at her, then shook his head. "I'm not from your world, Sheena," he replied, then turned back. "Though if you're what Martel called a brother, I'd hate to see what her friends were like."

Raine and Genis stared, then looked at Yggdrasil in shock. "The Goddess Martel's...brother?" Raine murmured.

"Don't speak so casually of her!" snapped Yggdrasil. He gave a quick motion, and suddenly Colette started struggling, trying to get out of Lloyd's grip. He tried to keep his grip, but she managed to get a hand free and lifted it, the spears appearing again.

Lloyd gritted his teeth, clutching her tighter, and his hand brushed the necklace. He suddenly blinked, almost seeming to _feel _what was wrong.

"Genis! Throw the necklace I gave you!" he yelled down suddenly.

Genis blinked then turned to Raine, motioning to a single scale. She frowned but removed it, surprised to find it was actually an entirely different necklace. He turned, thrusting it up, and Lloyd easily grabbed it. He glanced up at Yggdrasil, meeting his gaze squarely, before releasing Colette briefly and slipping the necklace on.

She screamed, writhing in pain. The spears vanished, and she twisted, clutching at the necklace. The black scales seemed to fade, becoming a pale pink. Finally she relaxed, slowly opening her eyes. She blinked, looking around in confusion, before smiling as she saw Lloyd. She tried to say something, then frowned when she couldn't.

Lloyd quickly soothed her, taking her wrist and quickly swimming back down to the cage before making one sword appear and easily cutting through the bars. Genis floated up to him, grabbing his wrist, and Lloyd took Raine's hand before turning to Yggdrasil.

"They are mine. I'm taking them."

Yggdrasil glared at him. "You won't get far when you're drowning!" he snarled, sending a wave of energy to him. It hit him, passing through him, and he stiffened as he waited for the effect. Nothing happened, however, and he looked confused.

Yggdrasil, however, suddenly seemed to realise something. "No...no, you can't be.." he mumbled.

Lloyd looked at him in confusion, then decided to take advantage of the distraction and suddenly shot away, clear of the crowd within seconds. He quickly went to the surface, still swimming but allowing the others to get a breath.

"Are you alright?" he asked them.

"Yeah, we're fine," Genis grinned.

"I knew you'd come," Colette said happily, hugging him, then seemed surprised to be able to speak.

"Don't worry, it's because you're not a real mermaid. If I knew how to unblock it, I would, but Kratos didn't tell me how."

"Lloyd," a voice said suddenly, and they turned. Lloyd relaxed a little as he recognised Sheena.

"What are you doing here? Won't you get in trouble if you're with me?" he asked, confused.

Sheena gazed at him. "...You're not a mermaid, are you," she said finally.

Lloyd hesitated, then shook his head. "Not like you. I'm half-human."

Raine looked at him in shock. "You're half-mermaid?" she demanded.

"Yeah. I'll explain later," he replied.

Sheena continued to gaze at him a moment, then sighed. "I believe you can change our world, Lloyd. Like I said before, most of us are tired of living in a world where we are constantly at war with the humans. I know I said before that there are other half mermaids, but as I said, they are increasingly rare and hardly ever realise they are human. None of them can truly be a bridge. You, however, are different. You've been raised as a human, but you also understand mermaids. I believe you could be one we've waited for all these years."

Lloyd took this in, then gave a smile. "Well, I don't know if you should be putting your faith in me, but I'll do my best. For now I just want to get my friends back home."

"I'll help," Sheena offered, holding out a hand. Genis easily slipped over to her, and she gave a hesitant smile.

"Hunny~! Where are you going?"

Sheena groaned as Zelos appeared beside them, easily matching pace. "Don't tell me you're coming too, you stupid moron," she sighed.

"Aww, I can't let my honey go off by herself! I must say, Lloyd, you're daring rescue was very heroic. The stuff of legends, you could say!"

"Thanks, I think?"

"So, where are you going?"

"To the surface," Sheena replied shortly.

Zelos blinked. "You know that's forbidden, right?" he said finally.

"Of course. But I'm trusting Lloyd," she muttered.

Zelos considered this, looking at him, then gave a grin. "Well, I've always wanted to see what the hunnies on the land look like! I guess I'll tag along!"

"Thanks for your help, Zelos," Lloyd said, grinning.

Zelos winked. "How about I take a lovely lady off your arm?" he suggested. Lloyd hesitated, glancing between them, but Colette gave him a quick smile before drifting over to him. He gave her a smirk, and she gave a smile in return.

"We'll be faster if we dive, but if we need to remain above water for your friends..." Sheena said.

"No, it'll be okay. Genis, you guys need fresh scales. Colette, you won't be able to speak, but don't panic."

Raine quickly passed Genis his necklace, and he slipped it on before putting a scale in his mouth and giving one to Raine. "Ready," he said.

The three of them quickly dived, putting on a burst of speed. Without the slower Raine and Genis, they made quick time, getting three quaters of the way back in one day.

Sheena quickly directed them to an island, and the group went over to it. Raine, Genis and Colette were happy enough to clamber out, Colette's legs soon returning. They dried off their clothes while Lloyd organised what Sheena and Zelos should do.

"We'll be fine in the water for the night. If there's a problem, then don't hesitate to leave without us," Sheena said.

"Alright, but be careful. I don't want either of you to get hurt," Lloyd replied.

"Don't worry, I'll protect her," Zelos grinned as he dived under.

"Somehow, I'm more worried about him than you," Lloyd sighed.

"I know how you feel. Anyway, we'll see you in the morning," Sheena said before also diving.

Lloyd pulled himself up onto the beach, making sure he was fully clear of the water. He lay back, staring up at the sky. Mermaid life was a lot different from what he expected...and now that he actually knew what had happened, it seemed rather sad. He didn't like to think that his friends had ancestors who had been kicked out of the water, and went crazy because of it in Genis and Raine's case.

He felt the familiar tingle that had been absent the last few days, and his legs returned. He stood up, grunting at how odd it felt after having been swimming for so long, then wandered over to the others.

"Do you need me to help with anything?" he asked as he joined them.

"I think we're pretty much done, actually," Colette said with a smile as Genis put the rabbit over the fire.

"Yup. We'll just finish cooking this little guy and then we can go to sleep," Genis added with a grin.

Lloyd nodded, straightening expectantly. Genis' cooking was the best, after all, and it looked like everything was going their way.

* * *

**A/N: So yes! Lloyd's scales can counteract Yggdrasil's! (Which is pretty lucky, right? :P)**

**And Zelos randomly tags along for the ride...Not that I'm sad about that, I just feel that it was too rushed and I wish I'd added a little middle bit for him. Or a better explanation. Or something :(**

**Review?**


	9. Chapter 9

_'Lloyd?'_

Lloyd opened his eyes slowly, sitting up and turning before blinking. Noishe was partially on the beach, gazing at him expectantly. He made sure the others were asleep before walking over, kneeling next to him.

"Sorry about earlier, Noishe. I just had to get them out of there as fast as possible," he murmured.

_'Don't worry, I understand. If my friends were in danger, I'd do the same,' _Noishe replied, clicking quietly.

There was a ripple, and Lloyd blinked as Kratos suddenly appeared from the surface. "Kratos? I didn't see you at all...Are you alright?" he asked, standing.

Kratos gazed at him a moment, then glanced away. "I'm fine. Yggdrasil has me working for him again, but I felt I should alert you that he wants me to kill your half-elf friends, the traitors, and take that Colette girl."

"What? Why? ...Hold on, how did you know they were half-elves?"

"It was quite easy to guess. As for the other questions...Yggdrasil sees you as a threat. He wants to throw you off balance. However, I don't intend to obediantly do as he says. I can keep off you for until you reach the mainland, but if you enter the ocean again, I can't guarantee safety."

Lloyd nodded. "Alright. Thank you, it's more than I could expect of you in this situation," he murmured.

"You don't plan to stay out of the water," Kratos noted.

"Of course not. There's too many problems that I know of now, and I plan to fix as many as I can. If I die in the process, then so be it."

Kratos blinked, then looked away a moment. Finally he sighed. "Tail colours are hereditary," he said suddenly. Lloyd blinked, and he looked up. "The colour you inherit also reflects your aura. Aquamarine, in mermaid culture, has long been considered both to represent calm and perseverance. You appear to possess both...like your mother did."

Lloyd stared at him. "You knew my mum?"

"...A little. She was a human, but the mermaid she fell in love with foolishly believed he could make her a mermaid and she would be safe. Her tail colour was aquamarine...Unfortunately, fate was not on their side, and she wound up dead; drowned. It was presumed that their baby had died with her, but you are quite clearly her son."

"Who was she? What was she like?" Lloyd asked quickly.

"A brave and gentle woman. She inspired many around her to follow her. You've inherited many of her traits...As for her name, it was Anna."

Lloyd blinked, certain he had heard the name before, but he couldn't think where. He gazed at Kratos a minute, then smiled. "Thank you. I'm really in your debt. You've done a lot more for me than you probably realise," he murmured.

"I rarely underestimate the value of information. I have a general idea, at least. Stay safe, Lloyd," Kratos murmured before slipping back under the water.

Noishe turned to Lloyd. _'Sorry Lloyd, but...'_

"It's alright, I understand. He's all you've ever known," Lloyd said.

_'He's just really lonely. He doesn't have many friends, after all. So I have to be there to cheer him up!' _Noishe said with a happy click before leaping up and diving down, splashing Lloyd a little in the process and making him laugh. He wandered back to the others, brushing the water off, and glanced back out over the ocean before sighing and lying down to get some rest.

* * *

The next morning, they sat waiting on the beach for Zelos and Sheena. Genis and Colette stood in the water, splashing each other a little, though making sure not to get Colette's necklace wet in case she randomly transformed.

Raine was gazing at Lloyd, trying to figure out what could give away that he was part mermaid. There must be something, after all...shouldn't there? He acted as human as the others, and yet he was quite clearly able to grow a tail without a scale. In fact, now that she thought about it, the scales Genis and Colette had - and that they had used to change into mermaids - were probably from Lloyd himself.

He suddenly blinked, turning before standing. A moment later Sheena and Zelos broke the surface, swimming towards them.

"Sorry about the wait. This idiot was taking forever to wake up," Sheena sighed.

"Don't worry about it," Lloyd replied with a grin.

Zelos ran a hand through his hair, gazing at him. "So you really are part human? Wow~. First one I've ever met," he said, smirking.

"Do you need to do something special to get your tail?" asked Sheena.

"Not really. Colette, Genis, we're leaving!" he called.

The two of them glanced at him then nodded, Colette submerging herself before breaking the surface, her tail lifted behind her. Genis walked over to Raine, passing over a scale before putting one in his mouth and leaping into the water, splashing Colette. She giggled, diving after him. Lloyd sighed, shaking his head, and turned as Raine walked up. "Are you wanting to come with me again, Professor?" he asked.

"Actually...If it's no trouble, I'd like to go with Miss Sheena," Raine replied, looking at her.

"That's fine," Sheena replied, waiting until Raine was in the water before taking her hand.

Lloyd nodded, noting that the other two hadn't surfaced yet, and grinned before diving under the water after them. He floated there a moment, smiling happily as the tingle ran up his legs and his tail appeared. He quickly flicked it, spinning briefly before spotting the other two and diving down to them.

They looked up as he approached, and he motioned up. They nodded, the three of them swimming up together and breaking the surface at the same time.

Genis glanced towards Sheena, then pulled a face as he saw Raine was with her. Looking over at Zelos, he sighed before swimming over to him. Lloyd took Colette's hand, and the group quickly dived down again, starting towards Iselia once more.

* * *

Dirk was hammering away in his forge once again, trying to push away the niggling worry for Lloyd. He hoped they were all alright, but the boy was like his own son, and he didn't want anything to happen to him...

He heard feet coming up towards his house and frowned, pausing in his hammering. Had the Desians come back? He wandered to the front, glancing out cautiously before relaxing as he saw Raine, Genis and Colette...then worry hit him again as he realised Lloyd wasn't with them.

"Are ya alright? Where's Lloyd?" Dirk asked, looking between them.

"He's still on the beach with Zelos and Sheena. He asked you to go down and see him," Genis explained.

Dirk sighed in relief before nodding. "Aye, will do. Why don' ya get in and dry yerselves off?" he suggested, waiting until they were inside and warming up before heading off, soon reaching the beach. Lloyd sat on the sand with two other mermaids, and Dirk stopped in surprise before continuing on.

Lloyd heard him coming and turned, grinning when he saw him. "Dad!" he called happily, waiting until Dirk had walked over before hugging him. Dirk returned the hug, just happy knowing that he was safe and well.

"I missed ya, lad. Been safe?" he asked.

"Well, mostly, but I'll tell you about that later. Dad, these are Sheena and Zelos, a couple of friends of mine." The two of them gave a quick wave, and Dirk nodded his head at them. "I was wondering if you knew any way to give them legs? They're at danger in the water," Lloyd explained.

Dirk considered, rubbing his beard. "Hmm...Well, yer scales are special, a'ter all. Maybe using them pendants'll give 'em legs instead of tails," he suggested.

Lloyd blinked before grinning. "Hey, that's a great idea! I should have thought of that."

"I'll head back up an' grab 'em. Wait here a min," Dirk grunted, turning and starting back up. He checked in on the others before grabbing the little box with the pendants in and heading back down to the beach. He set the box onto the sand, lifting a couple of the pendants out and handing them to the two mermaids.

"Try 'em," Dirk said.

The two of them hesitated, then Sheena lifted the necklace and slipped it on. There was a vague tingle, then her tail vanished, being replaced by legs. She blinked before standing, stumbling unsteadily for a moment. "This is so odd...How do you land-livers deal without having tails?" she mumbled, shuffling forward a little.

Zelos quickly slipped the bracelet on, also standing. He quickly lost his balance and fell face-first into the sand, lifting himself up and spitting a bit out.

"Being a human is horrible," he muttered as he pushed himself up again.

Lloyd laughed. "You'll get used to it," he said, watching their clumsy attempts at walking.

Sheena adapted easier to it, and was able to walk normally for a little while. "It's very tiring," she noted finally.

Lloyd glanced back as his tail disappeared, replaced by two legs, and he quickly picked up the scales that had dropped off before standing up. "You'll get used to it. Come on, come inside and dry off," he said, heading to the house with Dirk, Sheena, and a wobbly Zelos in tow.

* * *

**A/N: Explanation time!**

**1) Raine's little 'surely there must be something different' bit wasn't any type of foreshadowing - she was simply realising that actually, Lloyd was as human as he was mermaid. He didn't have anything that made him different from her or Genis or Colette, but also nothing different from Sheena and Zelos.**

**2) Why Raine went with Sheena; well, mostly she just wanted to check out real mermaid tails. Tbh I just put Genis with Zelos so Colette could finally go with Lloyd.**

**3) Why Sheena and Zelos immediately grew legs and why the same pendants could do that; his scales could do it for the reason Dirk said - he's half mermaid, so it just works backwards. Why they immediately grew legs (when they won't in later chapters) was because the pendants have to be dry for them to grow legs (which is actually the same for if Colette wore her pendant while it was wet, but she can just take it off and immediately grow legs).**

**Review?**


	10. Chapter 10

A while later, when everyone was dried off, Lloyd, Raine, Genis and Colette walked down to Iselia. As they entered the town, several people looked shocked, a few running up to Colette and saying how happy they were that she was back. They spent a while just talking to the people, Colette having to constantly reassure them that she was okay, but eventually they reached her house.

Knocking on the door, they walked in, stepping through to the kitchen where her father, Frank, and grandmother Phaidra were sitting. They looked up as they entered, then stood as they saw Colette.

"Colette, you're alright!" Frank gasped, hugging her tightly.

Colette gave a happy nod, hugging him back. "I missed you," she mumbled.

"You went into the ocean?" Phaidra asked the other three, frowning.

"It was the only option," Raine replied.

"...Very well. I won't say that I'm upset to have my granddaughter back, after all. But you must stay out of the water for two weeks, least you be unable to leave ever again."

"Of course, Elder," Raine said, bowing briefly before motioning for the two boys to follow her out.

"Oh, and Lloyd?" Phaidra called suddenly. He paused, turning back, and she walked over to him, motioning for him to bend down. He did so, looking confused.

"Yes?" he asked hesitantly.

"You should be more careful about who sees it. You're lucky only I have noticed, so far; make sure to stay out of sight," she murmured.

Lloyd blinked before straightening, staring at her. "You...you know that..?"

"That you've given my granddaughter a very beautiful necklace? Yes, I am aware," Phaidra said tartly, before shooing him out and closing the door behind him.

"What's up, Lloyd?" asked Genis.

Lloyd glanced at the house, then shook his head, turning away. "It's nothing. You should head back home," he said with a grin, before waving and heading out of town again.

* * *

It was late. Lloyd stood on his balcony, gazing up at the starry sky. He'd missed it, being under the water. It was almost a relief to be back...but he couldn't stay for too long. He had to stop that Yggdrasil guy as soon as possible.

He glanced back into his room, making sure no one was moving around or awake. Certain that no one was there, he placed a hand on the railing before leaping over. He easily landed, remaining still a moment to make sure no one had woken up before quietly running down towards the beach.

When he reached it, he didn't pause, easily diving into it. A moment later his tail had appeared, and he twisted slightly, flicking it before swimming deeper so that he had plenty of space.

Finally he stopped, glancing around. He turned to gaze down at his hands, then closed his eyes and focused. Last time he'd summoned the swords on instinct, simply because he'd seen Kratos do it and Sheena had vaguely shown him how. Now that he was actually trying to do it conciously, it was much harder.

Several times he saw a brief flicker, the water surging towards him slightly before he lost concentration and it faded again. Finally he gave a frustrated cry, turning onto his back as he gazed at the sky.

"How hard can this be?" he muttered, rubbing a hand over his face. For a while he simply floated there, then he flicked his tail, pushing himself to the surface. He headed back towards the beach, coming from a different angle so that nobody from the town could see him, and pulled himself up onto several rocks. He sat there, his tail slightly dipped into the water and scales glowing from the light.

Remembering what Kratos had said the night before, he frowned. "How come Kratos knew my parents?" he wondered, lying back on the rock. He pondered over it for a while, wondering why the name Anna seemed familiar, then pushed it away and sat up again. His tail had faded by now, and he stood up, clambering over the rocks before heading back up to the house. He quickly pulled himself back up to his room, padding in and closing the door before drying himself off and collapsing onto the covers. Gazing out the window, his eyes slowly drifted closed, still wondering about the Anna thing.

* * *

"Lloyd! Come on, wake up already!" Genis called from underneath his window.

It finally opened, Lloyd stumbling out and gazing down at him sleepily. "Hey Genis...what's the matter?" he asked.

"You're going to be late for school, Lloyd. We may have just gotten back, but Sis isn't going to start taking it easy on us," Genis pointed out.

Lloyd groaned, running a hand through his hair and making it even messier than normal. "...Fine..Just wait there a sec," he said finally, walking back into his room. Genis rolled his eyes, waiting impatiently. They'd been back about a week already, but Lloyd hadn't actually been coming school. Raine had let him have some time off, but now she wanted him back, so it was Genis' job to get him up in the morning again.

He'd been getting up pretty late recently, actually. Maybe doing all that stuff in the ocean had really tired him out...

He soon stepped out of the house now fully dressed, giving a quick wave to Dirk before following Genis down to Iselia.

"So, how are Sheena and Zelos settling in?" asked Genis, who hadn't seen them very much since coming back.

"Well enough. I think they find it weird not being in the water, but they know if they try to go back they could be killed. I feel kind of sorry for them, to be honest. If they hadn't decided to help me, then they would be able to go home at least..." Lloyd replied, sighing.

"It's not your fault, so don't worry about it. And we'll figure out something eventually," Genis reassured, then turned back as they entered Iselia. "Come on, the lesson's probably already started," he added, running ahead. Lloyd gave a wide yawn before lazily jogging after him, quickly apologising as Genis called for him to hurry up.

* * *

Lloyd sighed as he listlessly swam through the water, staying close to the surface but not close enough to be seen from the town. The constant late nights and early mornings were starting to get to him, and he wondered if he should just start going to bed earlier. But he needed to practice this, otherwise he wouldn't be prepared to fight Yggdrasil...

He blinked as he heard something and turned, watching a mermaid coming towards him. Frowning, he turned, but the darkness meant he wasn't able to clearly see them.

They stopped a little way back, gazing at him. He drew back slightly, gazing at them warily. "Who are you?" he asked finally.

The mermaid watched him for a moment, then tilted their head a moment as if considering him. Suddenly they shot forward, an axe appearing in their hands. Lloyd swore, only just dodging and quickly backing away, focusing on summoning his swords. Although he could do it now, he still had to concentrate for a minute; however, the girl wasn't giving him a minute, and lunged forward again, cutting his arm lightly.

Lloyd quickly dived, focusing on dodging her as he tried to manifest his swords. She followed after him, and he saw now that she had a black tail. Glancing over her, he finally spotted the pendant around her neck.

"Yggdrasil..." he muttered, feeling a click as his sword appeared. He turned, blocking the girl as she slammed her axe towards him and pushing her back. He slipped round her, quickly restraining her with one hand and hitting her on the head with the other. She quickly went limp, and he sighed in relief before swimming up and heading back to the mainland.

A while later, when his legs had returned, he walked back up to the house. He went through the front door, not bothering with trying to climb back to his room, and set her down on the sofa before searching for the box where Dirk kept the pendants made from his scales. He eventually found it, pulling out a necklace and heading back over to the girl.

He pulled off the other necklace, putting his on her, and she stiffened subconciously before relaxing, the black scales fading to be replaced with a deep indigo. Her tail also quickly disappeared, leaving her with two legs.

Lloyd sat back, giving a sigh. Well, he didn't exactly have time to keep practicing now, apparently. Not if Yggdrasil had finally found him. The fact that he sent such a young girl rather than Kratos surprised him, to be honest, but there could be any number of things which meant Kratos wasn't sent.

In fact, maybe that was a good thing. Kratos was strong, Lloyd knew that, and he was faster at making his weapons. The girl was slightly amateur; Kratos was a professional. If it had been Kratos, he probably would have been beaten.

He heard footsteps and glanced up, watching as Dirk came down. "Are ya alrigh'? I heard ya wandering around..." he started before blinking as he saw the girl. "Who's she?" he asked.

"I don't know. She attacked me, but it was because she under someone else's control," Lloyd replied tiredly.

Dirk eyed him. "Ya been out swimming, hmm?"

Lloyd nodded, too tired to care at this point.

Dirk frowned. "Are ya alrigh'? Ya look a little pale..."

"I'm fine. Is there anywhere she can sleep for tonight?" Lloyd asked, pushing himself up.

"I'll go ask Sheena if she can stay with 'er. We'll sort the rest out tomorrow, so just go get some sleep."

"Right. Night Dad," Lloyd said, walking over the stairs and going up them. He got to his room and collapsed onto his bed, asleep within seconds.

* * *

**A/N: And Presea is introduced! (C'mon, you guessed by the axe...) Also, the tiredness thing is a plot point. Plot! It actually exists in my stories sometimes!**

**'His sword' was not a typo - he only made one sword appear because a) he didn't have time to make the other and b) it was just easier to restrain her.**

**Review?**


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